Texture No.4 (Contrast and Frequency)
March 30, 2007 at 10:52 am
First prototype list in the series to see if I can combine all elements I want (electronica, postrock, folks, moderns). This is pure texture play without structure. (contrast, frequency spread, transition). A trial if it is at all possible to build listenable and functional list. The texture idea is first brought up by merz at merz needs guitar, I took the tortoise track and start working backward while adding all things I want. So this list is progressing to bigger sound. Also loud. I compile this list at very loud volume, using the Arvo Part as floor. Since the list has no abrupt painfull track, it’s pretty safe for gentle ears. Go ahead indulge.
Some problems: mp3 is not able to completely capture Arvo Part tracks without somewhat loosing its charm. If you notice the choir voice is not as lush. The Tortoise track is also blurry compared to newer postrock recordings, tho’ probably it’s because of original recording. The rest of electronica are fairly spiffy, with deep bass or tight high pitch. I love it.
Anyway, enjoy. this is somewhat experimental. Comments away.
“Texture No.4 (Contrast, Sound and Frequency Sculpture)”
1. Adm Collins - Long Distance Lover
(unreleased single)
2. Arvo Part - Magnificat
(De Profundis, 1997)
3. alva noto + opiate - opto file 4 (web)
(cdr040 opto files, 2001)
4. SIGNAL CENTRUM - super-structure
(cdr030 SIGNAL CENTRUM, 2000)
5. Christian McBride - Little Sunflower
(Number Two Express, 1996)
6. Skolopender - Liten Kuling Tolv (web)
(Teaterarasjens Kompressor compilation, 2003)
7. Gabby La La - Be Careful What You Wish For, Cause It Might Come True (web)
(Be Careful What You Wish For, 2005)
8. Cypress Hill - Lick a Shot
(Black Sunday, 1993)
9. Orbital - Attached
(Snivilisation, 1994)
10. Ralph Myerz - Ambivalent (web)
(Ralph Myerz(progr.) w/ Olav Øyehaug(instr.), 2003)
11. Tortoise - Glass Museum
(Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1996)
see also: No. 3b, No. 2a, Arvo Pärt (wiki)
image: MikeParker
check out 3-4-5 and 8-9-10-11 transition.
I like ‘em a lot.
me likey.
wonder what speaker system you’ve got if you’re serving arvo part after that first tune you dropped.
Squashed, Excellent, I was thinking earlier you forgot about me and then I saw this post. Very nice mix, I especially like Signal Centrum, Skolopender and Orbital. Good overall flow working off the Tortoise track. We should do this again!
mayumi -
I have small place and only small pair of monitor speakers. I will get kicked out if I play anything loudly. :D (not to mention weird music) So I use pre-amp + monitor headphone.
Arvo Part. It’s a problem, All classical recording has different loudness level since their range is far greater. Usually it’s set to the loudest piece in the entire album. As a result softer pieces sounded “tiny” if ripped to mp3. I should have tweaked the loudness during ripping.
but yeah. even louder, that arvo part piece will sound delicate. But on CD it truely magnificant. Btw, that album, sung by Hilliard ensamble is worth owning. very well executed.
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merz,
takes me awhile, was kinda busy. plus this list is pretty odd. I had to smooth it out with posts before. I like the bass in skolopander. It’s like a big engine breathing, very odd.
sure. let’s do it again.
I am thinking we should do some sort of regular blog carnival. (maybe monthly or bi-monthly) It could be fun for mp3 blog. I’ll ask around if people are interested.
love this (as ever), and thanks for numbering each track - makes it a lot easier to put together again! i’ll see if i can find some pure sine waves to insert in the mix - seems like the way to go. always good to see some arvo in a mix!
love the transition and the concept of texture in each of these tracks. You’re right - arvo part’s physical cds with headphones is a very different experience, you need a very high quality mp3 to try and replicate this kind of music the way it needs to be listened to.
the first time I heard arvo part was in mp3 format and although I loved it, it wasn’t until a few years later that I finally got hold on one cd of him that I noticed how much his music is rendered with incredible intimacy and majestic detail. The difference on the sonic experience was astonishing, particulary with the pin-drop quiet passages that I never noticed before.
you’re so right, just dug out the tabula rasa cd. there is that sense of… texture, i suppose, that you don’t get from mp3’s. i’m not super finicky about stuff, and i can’t say i’m an audiophile…but there is something about it. like it’s a bit more tangible somehow.
it’s like the difference between the feel of film grain as opposed to a pixel. you can’t see really see the difference, but somehow, you know.
All arvo part choir works are using sustained voices at very near pitches that create strange harmonies. (his famous trick, tintinabulli)
It creates all sorts of overtones. It sounded like soft rainbows, rippling all over.
But the way mp3 compression works is eleminating “softer” sound that is presumed not audible compared to the louder “foreground”. So it strips a lot of this overtones/harmonies/etc.
But because we are talking about “human voices/choir” our ears are actually very sensitive to overtones. We pick it up immediately, as oppose to loud rock instruments or other non human voice overtones.
so.. that’s my best shot explanation at least. (either that or I need a new CD ripper. hah.)
here is a diagram that might illustrate somewhat.
in the “harmony” section, one can see combination of Main wave plus overtons, creating strange bumpy waves with big peaks and small one. Those sounds good to human ears. It creates complexity. But mp3 compression eleminate the smaller peaks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_of_music
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I love the Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten and Tabula Rasa. How cool is that Alfred schnittke himself is sitting in the piano! I love how the piano sounds so weird….”booong….” everytime the violin finish a phrase. It always makes me want to shout…uhhhh. do it again, do it again….
Te Deum is still my favorite Arvo’s recording. I think that was hist first album that got him wide fan. I listen to it for about 3 weeks. It was the only CD spinning on my CD player. heh.
The myerz track is the awesomest. Good work!